Indonesia Takes Delivery of RI-1

Indonesia Get its First Presidential Jet

The sky-blue Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ-2) will undergo safety and security checks carried out by the Indonesian Air Force before formally going into service as the official aircraft of the Indonesian President.

Built at a cost of Rp. 847 billion rupiah (US$73.7 million) the aircraft is 38-meters long with a wingspan of 35.79-meters and powered by two CFM56-7 turbofan jets.

The inside of the aircraft boasts two VVIP staterooms, four VVIP meeting rooms and seating for 12 in an executive section and a separate area for 44 presidential staff.

The jet has a range of 10 hours during which it can traverse some 10,000 kilometers.

Because of testing and training programs needed to introduce the new jet into service, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will only enjoy the privilege of flying on the aircraft perhaps 2-3 times before his final term of office comes to an end.

The State Secretariat has defended the purchase of the aircraft – the first aircraft dedicated exclusively for use by the President in the Republic’s 69-year history, claiming the government will save some Rp. 114.2 billion (US$9.9 million) in State funds during its two first years of operation.